Surgical stocking



Nov. 13, 1951 c JoBsT SURGICAL STOCKING Filed May 25, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET l FIG.2.

FIG

FIG

INVENTOR.

CONRAD JOBST ATTORNEYS NOV. 13, 195] c JOBST 2,574,873

7 SURGICAL STOCKING Filed May 23, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIGB.

INVENTOR.

CONRAD JOBST ATT O RN EYS Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SURGICAL STOCKING Conrad J obst, Toledo, Ohio Application Ma 23,1949, Serial No. 94,831

3 Claims. i

The invention relates to surgical stockings such as are used to assistin the return circulation of blood.

It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction whicheliminates certain detr'lmental characteristics of surgical stockings asheretofore used and which also increases efliciency in assisting returncirculation.

More particularly, it is an object to obtain a construction for use ofpatients suffering from varicose veins.

The invention therefore consists in the construction of surgicalstocking and method of forming the same as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the leg of a patientillustrating the method of measuring the same preliminary to the formingof an individual surgical stocking for use thereon;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank cut from elastic fabric and fromwhich the stocking is to be formed;

Figure 3 is an elevation similar to Figure 1 illustrating in dottedlines the relative dimensions of the stocking which has beenlongitudinally stretched but not circumferentially expanded;

Figures l and 5 are cross sections respectively on lines 3-4 and 5'5,Figure 3;

Figures 6 and '7 are diagrams showing fabric from which the stocking isformed respectively before and after stretching of the same;

Figure 8 illustrates a method of forming a template from which thesurgical stocking can be accurately formed;

Figure 9 is a plan view of said template; and

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section through a modified form of stocking.

Surgical stockings as heretofore used are formed indifferent sizes fromwhich selection is made for use Of individual patients. Inasmuch,however, as the contours of the legs of different patients are neverprecisely the same, it is difficult or impossible to obtain the samefunctioning in all cases. As a consequence, the pressure applied by thestocking to one portion of the leg may be less than that required forgreatest help to the circulation, while the pressure in another portionmay be too great so as to cause strangulation. With my improvedconstruction it is essential to adapt the stocking to the individual forwhom it is prepared so as to avoid on the one hand any danger ofstrangulation, and on the other hand to secure the proper degree ofresilient pressure in all portions for greatest assistance tocirculation. I have therefore devised a 2 method for forming individualsurgical stockings as follows: a

As illustrated in Figure 1, the leg A of the patient is measuredcircumferentially at verti cally spaced points indicated by the lines alb, 0, etc. A blank B is then cut from a sheet of elastic fabric B whichis capable of stretching in transverse directions to increase thetension on the strands thereof. Such fabric is diagrammaticallyillustrated in Figures 6 and '7, respectively, be fore and afterstretching. In cutting the blank B, the width i nsuccessive lines a, band c" is in predetermined ratio to the circumferential lengths a, b, 0plus the material required for forming the seam. However, as the fabricis in its natural unstretched'condition, the lines a, b, c are moreclosely spaced than the lines a, b, c to compensate for the longitudinalstretching of the fabric when the stocking is drawn onto the leg. As itis the purpose of the stocking to pro duce radial pressure, the lengthsa, b, c are less than the circumferential lengths a, b, 0, so that thefabric must be circumferentially stretched when placed on the leg.

An important feature of my invention is the variation in radial pressureat different points in the length of the stocking so as to secure justthe required amount for assisting circulation without danger ofstrangulation. If the patient were constantly lying in a horizontalposition such variation would not be necessary, but as he is frequentlystanding or walking the blood in the veins of the leg is more or lesssubject to varying hydrostatic pressure. The highest pressure will be inthe foot or lower portion of the leg and from there upward thehydrostatic pressure sufficient to compensate for increase in hydrostatic pressure of the blood in the veins. In other words, thestretching of the fabric circumferentially will place the same undertension which will result in producing radial inward pressure againstthe leg. The more the fabric is stretched the greater its tension and byproper calculation the proper width of the blank at each point in itsvertical length can be determined to produce the required pressure. Asillustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the full line contours CC and DD(corresponding to those of the leg Figure 1) are non-parallel to thedotted line contours C'--C and D-D, which latter correspond to thestocking when longitudinally stretched but not ciriiiiiferntiallyexpanded. It will be iioted that the full and dotted lines diverge fromeach other in a downward direction and, as illustrated in Figures 4 and5, the ratio of the relative diameters of the full and dotted circles isgreater in Figure than in Figure 4. To relieve pressure over the heelthe stocking E may be formed with a gore E and the foot portion E. ispreferably formed to exert a radial pressure at least as great asexerted along the line 5-5.

While I have described my improved surgical stocking as being formedfrom a flat sheet of elastic fabric, it is evident that it might beproduced by knitting or weaving if the same relative dimensions werepreserved in the difierent portions of the structure. The importantfeature is that the stocking when applied to the leg must beprogressively increased in tension from its upper to its lower portionto produce radial pressures proportional to the hydrostatic pressures ina vertical column of blood of the same length. Also instead of astocking formed of a single layer of fabric, it may be formed as shownin Figure of a plurality of super-posed lightweight layers F and F.flexibility.

Stated in the language of the surgeon or anatomist, the stocking made asabove described will result in an equally controlled tension to allparts of the extremity both longitudinally and circumferentially whilethe part is at rest or in use. This tension accurately graduated todecrease from the distal end to the proximal portion of the extremitywould assist or increase the flow of venous blood. There would be lessopportunity for stasis in the lower portion of the leg when the patientis in the upright position. The normal function of the musclescontracting and relaxing in assisting venous circulation would beenhanced by such a stocking.

To facilitate the proper forming of the stocking for an individualpatient or user, I have devised a template for obtaining accuratemeasurement of the portion of the anatomy to which it is to be applied.This consists of a paper or fabric sheet G cut to form a comparativelynarrow, longitudinally extending central portion G, and a series ofnarrow strip portions (1 extending transversely and oppositely from theportion G and slightly spaced from each other. The strips G on one sideof the portion G have adhesive G3 applied to one face thereof. Thus thepatient can extend the portion G longitudinally along the back of hisleg, around the heel, and along the sole of the foot. The strips G maythen be bent circumferentially around the leg and the foot and securedto each other by the adhesive. Shears, or some other cutter, may then beused to sever the overlapped portions of the strip centrally and at thefront of the leg and over the foot. This will produce a template givingthe This will produce greater action and exact circumferential lengthsof successive vrti= cally spaced portions of the leg. From this templatethe stocking can be accurately fashioned to produce the proper tensionsin differeiit poi" tions thereof. The proper time for forming thistemplate is after the patient has been lying in bed for a number ofhours so that the leg will not be swollen.

While I have specifically described the application of my improvedsurgical stocking only to the leg of the patient, it is obvious that itmight be useful in some cases for application to an arm. With eitherlimb its functioning will be the same, viz., a progressive increase inradial pressure from the proximal portion to the distal end of theextremity.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A stocking formed of an elastic fabric having the circumferentiallength of longitudinally spaced portions thereof progressively decreasedfrom the upper end to the lower portion in greater ratio than that ofthe limb for which the stocking is designed.

2. An individual surgical stocking formed of elastic fabric, thecircumferential measurements of vertically spaced portions of thestocking being less than those of the corresponding portions of the limbon which the stocking is to be placed, the difference between thecircumferential measurements of the portions of the stocking and thoseof the limb increasing progressively from the proximal to the distalportions thereof.

3. A method of forming individual surgical stockings comprisingmeasuring at vertically spaced intervals the circumferential lengths ofthe portion of the limb of the individual on which the stocking is to beworn, cutting an elastic fabric sheet to a pattern for fitting aboutsaid limb but with transverse dimensions at longitudinal intervalsproportionately spaced to said vertically spaced intervals less than thecircumferential lengths at the corresponding points with a progressivelyincreasing differential, and seaming together the opposite edges of saidout sheet.

CONRAD J OBST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 967,585 Teufel Aug. 16, 19101,629,108 Lake May 17, 1927 2,169,203 Hinchliff Aug. 8, 1939 2,280,025Bollinger Apr. 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 143,221Austria Oct. 25, 1935

